Indicator socket for devices in series connection



April 11, 1950 M. I. Mc E r 2,503,677

INDICATOR SOCKET FOR DEVICES IN SERIES CONNECTION Filed July 17, 1946Inventor Millard L. M /lemy Nor-few L. M 'Hewy y (ma flaw 3 Ma PatentedApr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INDICATOR SOCKET FOB DENVICES 1N SERIES CONNECTIO Millard L. Mellenry,Akron, and Norton L. Meflenry, Barberton, Ohio Application Jilly 17,1946, Serial No. 684,378

2 Claims.

. using an indicator device which is enclosed in the socket material andwhich is nevertheless able to indicateclearly the presence of adefective lamp.

A further object of the invention consists in using a socket ofinsulating translucent material enclosing a glow discharge tube, theglow discharge of which may be observed through the walls of the socket.

A further object of the invention consists in embedding a neon tubetogether with its resistance and its connections within a socket ofovoid shape, provided with contacts whose insulating material is madefrom translucent plastics capable of being molded around the tube andits connections.

Two modifications of the invention are specifically described and shownin the drawings. It is, however, to be understood that thesemodifications are not the sole embodiment of the invention and areserving as examples to explain the principles on which it is based. Thespecification enables experts skilled in this art to construct furthermodifications which may be required and these further modifications aretherefore not departures from but are parts of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is an elevational sectional view of a socket constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational sectional view of an adapter. a

Figure 3 is a top view of the adapter shown in Figure 2. v

For many purposes, especially for the purpose of decoration. such aswindow decoration or Christmas tree decoration a large number of lowvoltage lamps or of other units are connected in series in a circuit tobe connected with the mains. Ii one of these lamps or units is defectiveor loose or burns out the entire series is extinguished or is cut oil. Atest to find out the defective lamp or unit has therefore to include allthe lamps or units of the series and their sockets and connections. Sucha test, as a rule, is no longer undertaken by the user for whom themultiplicity of possible sources of the defect is coniusing.

(Cl. 17731l) The invention provides means for the immediateidentification of. the detective structure or unit whether it be a lampor some other electrical unit.

As seen in Figure lthe socket l o! the lamp which is to be connected inseries with other lamps consists of a clear, transparent or of asemitransparent plastic material carrying the normal contact equipmentwhich. if it serves for lamps,'

V as indicated in the drawings. comprises the metal sleeve contact 2provided with the conventional rounded threads and the central contactI. A small neon lamp 5 is embedded into the plastic material connectedby wires I, l to the two abovementioned contacts 2 and I. A smallresistance I may be included insaid circuit so that itis connected inserieswith the neon lamp 5. The cables I, a may be partly embedded intothe plastic material or may be drawn through bores provided in the same.

The socket shown in the drawing is a decorative socket and may be usedfor Christmas tree or shop window decoration.

Where fixed connections with conventional sockets are already providedin the lamp circuit the lamps may be inserted into. an indicatingadapter socket, such as shown in Eigures 2 and 3. The indicating adapterll comprises a plug it provided at the outside with the conventionalscrew-threaded metal sleeve H, the upper halt of which projects and, onthe outside, issurrounded by an adapter socket member I! made oftransparent or semi-transparent plastics. The inner side of the sleeveis free and encircles a cavity 23 receiving the projecting lamp socket.This member I! is provided with a fiange It or an enlarged upper portioninto whiclrthe neon lam 5 and the small resistance II is embedded.

The contacts of the adapter are formed by the sleeve I4 on one side andby a small metal disc ll arranged on the end of a bolt ll at the top ofthe plug 12, which is Surrounded b the metal sleeve ll. The bolt llleads to a head I! which furnishes the central contact point of theadapter and which contacts the central contact of the conventionalsocket (not shown) into which the adapter is to be screwed.

The wires 2|, 2! with which the neon lamp I and the resistor II isconnected with the sleeve and the central contact may be embedded intothe plastic material. The conductor II is soldered to a strip 24 whichpasses through a hole 2! made in the sleeve II and which is screwed tothe central disc H to which it may be soldered or otherwise fixed.

As will be clear, the plug I: of the adapter will be screwed into theconventional socket or the circuit whilethe socket oi the lamp or otherunit is screwed into the sleeve surrounding cavity 23 in the uppermember l5 0! the adapter.

when a lamp burns out or becomes loose, or shows any other defectbreaking the circuit, the

' neon lamp Swillbe connected across the full voltage difference andwill start to glow. The current I drawn by the neon lamp is snail andthe other lamps will therefore not be lighted by this current.

The neon lamps which are associated with the other lamp sockets will, ofcourse, not operate as they remain short circuited by the lamp to whichthey are connected in shunt.

' The system or embedding small neon lamps connected in shunt to thecurrent drawing contacts of a current consuming unit, into transparentor semi-transparent sockets, may be employed in arrangement, other thanthose mentioned, for instance in radio sets, in which the low voltfilament circuits of the tubesare connected in series and in likearrangements.

We claim:

1. An indicating socketfor electric lamps, comprising a translucentmolded body made of plastic of a semi-ovoid shape with a cavity at oneend lined with the customary screw threaded cylindrical sleeve for thereception of the lamp and provided with a central contact at the bottomof the cavity, conductors leading to said sleeve and neon lamp andresistance embedded within said socket body and connected with the abovenamed sleeve and central contact.

2. An indicating socket for electric lamps, comprising a translucentmolded body of plastic of a semi-ovoid shape provided with a cavity atone end, lined with the customary screw threaded cylindrical sleeve forreceiving the electric lamp and further provided with a central contactat the bottom of the cavity, conductors passing from said cavity throughthe body-of the socket to the other end or the socket leading to saidsleeve and central contact, and embedded within the body of the socket,a rod shaped cylindrical neon lamp arranged substantially in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the ovoid shaped body, a highresistance, said neon lamp and said resistance being both embedded andheld within the molded translucent body, and conductors connected withsaid sleeve and said central contact leading to said resistance and neonlampembedded within said molded translucent socket body.

MILLARD L. MCHENRY. NORTON L. MCHENRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Roper July 2, 1946

